This is the International Water Services Flushability Group recommends as a disintegration test:
Products shall meet the requirements specified in IWSFG 2018: PAS 3 Disintegration Test Method – Slosh Box.
To be acceptable:
If there is material left on the 25 mm sieve after the 1-minute rinse, the percent of the total initial dry
mass passing through the 25 mm sieve for the five (5) test specimens after 30 minutes of testing shall be greater than 95%. This result shall be supported with visual examination and pictures of solids on the sieve, as described in IWSFG 2018: PAS 3.
While this Group references some of the INDA/EDANA tests, they have also changed a few of testing methods. I suspect that the flushable wipes would not pass the slosh box test.
Choice did an agitator test a few years ago and the wipes were still intact after some reasonable agitation, whereby toilet paper had broken down into its fibres. The Choice test would be harder on the wipes that either the INDA/EDANA or IWSFG tests. I can’t see how they would pass the industry/association tests. Maybe one for Choice to test independently using the INDA/EDANA or IWSFG tests.
Also, it would be interesting to know what the wipes are made of. Are they natural fibres or synthetics (plastics). The IWSFG states ‘Plastics are defined in IWSFG 2018: PAS 2. Of concern to flushable products are plastic fibers [8], [9], [10], [11], [13], [14]. Plastic fibers should not be intentionally introduced into flushable products or be present in more than de minimis concentrations.’ I also wonder if they meet this requirement?
There are also IWSFG Settlement and Biodisintegration Tests as well.
